U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,261, Stark, assigned to the assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, generally describes retention of a sealed light source element within a sealed outer bulb, furnished with a standard Edison E14 base, that is, with a screw-in base adapted to be received in a standard lamp socket. Connection of the electrical conductors supplying the sealed bulb element to the base is effected, for the external conductor, that is, for the screw-in terminal, by connecting one lead-in extending into the sealed element to a wire which is bent into essentially ring shape, and seated on a ring seating surface formed on a base sleeve which carries the screw-in portion of the base. This wire, typically a nickel-plated steel wire, is twisted into or connected to the interior of the outer threaded sleeve. One end is bent over and connected with the current supply lead from the sealed element, for example by welding.
The wire which is threaded into the interior of the sleeve not only provides electrical connection, but also has a holding or support function for the inner sealed light emitting element. It has been found in use that this support function may cause difficulties since forces are transferred to the pinch seal, customary in the light emitting sealed element. Vibration and shock which arise, primarily during transport, may lead to destruction of the weld between the current supply lead extending into a pinch seal formed in the inner bulb element, and a molybdenum foil sealed into the pinch seal.
European Published Application 0 435 393 A1, Damman et al, describes, a halogen incandescent lamp which is retained within a reflector supplied with a screw-in base. The halogen incandescent unit itself is held by a lamp carrier which clamps around a pinch seal of the halogen bulb. Extending flaps, tabs or tongues secure the clamping element on projections located in the neck portion of the reflector. Retaining the lamp carrier in the neck portion of the reflector increases the length of the overall lamp and, consequently, reflector lamps of this type cannot be used as direct replacements for ordinary incandescent lamps having standard screw-in sockets.